Film-rewinding mechanism.



W. H. AKIN.

' FILM REWINDING MECHANISM.

APPLlCATION FILED JULY 21 1915- I I 1,156,025, Patented Oct. 5, 1915,

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W. H. AKIN.

FILM REWINDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1915.

1,156,025. Patented O0t. 5, 1915.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS H. AKIN, OF FALGONER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLESE. MOYER AND ONE-FOURTH TO ADOLPHUS J'. BATEMAN, BOTH OF FALCONER, NEW

YORK.

. object of the improvement is to provide a simple mechanism forreversing one film by 15" rewinding-while another film is beingunreeled, the reels being so arranged that a single operator can controlboth the unreel-.

ing and rereeling without moving from his position in' front of themachine, provision being made for the'care of the films by the operatorin case of breakage so that the rewinding film may be cared for withoutendangering the same-while the unreeling film is joined, both filmsbeing protected from danger of ignition by fire since they are highlycombustible; and the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a. front ele-= vation of the moving picturemachine with the improved rewinding cabinet on the un derside of thetable, the doors ofsaid cabinet being open and showing the arrangementof the rewinding mechanism therein with the film reels in position. Fig.2 is a sectional view at line X- X in Fig. 1 showing the constructionand arrangement of the double length spindle or shaft which is revolublymounted in the rewinding cabinet and is shown with the two reels inposition thereon, spindle having a' pulley thereon enema connected bybelt to the crank shaft of the moving picture machine so that theoperator turns said pulley and spindle when turning the cranlr of themoving picture machine. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the separatorsleeve forholding the film reels a spaced distance apart on .the longspindle.

F ig. i is a perspective view of the locking spring. {or the rewindingreel on the long spindle. Fig. 5 is'a: perspective view of the rewindingcabinet with the doors open showing the spindles in position. Fig. 6 isan elevation of the rear side of the moving picture Specification ofLetters Patent.

application filedl'uly 21, 1915. Serial N 0. 41,090.

Patented 0017.5,1915.

machine with the rewind cabinet attached to the supporting table,showing the pulley and belt connection between the rewinding spindle andthe operating shaft of the movmg picture machine. Fig. 7 is an elevationof the long spindle.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts'in the severalviews.

The moving picture machine comprises the bench or table 10 whichsupports the mov ng picture projecting machine case 11 at one end andthe lamp house at the other. The case 11 has the reel cabinet 12 thereoninto which the film reel 13 is placed when it 1s desired to project thesame through the moving picture machine 11.

The door 1a of the cabinet 12 is provided on its inner side with a cap15 which engages over the end of the spindle 16 for the reel 13, the cap15 being supported on the end of a spring 17 thereby holding the reel 13as a resilient tension brake to prevent too -rapid unreeling.

The film 18 extends from the reel 13 over aroller 19 on the machine 11and down through a slot 20 in the top of the film cabinet 21. A guideroller 22 is placed over the slot 20 to hold the film 18 firmly in lineas it passes down through the slot 20 to the lower reel 23.

The reel 23 is mounted on and revolves with the spindle 24 in line with.the moving picture machine 11 and reel 13. Said spindle24 is revolublymounted in the rear wall 25 of a cabinet 21, extending to the rear ofthe cabinet to receive thereon the split pul-- ley 26, a spring 27 beingprovided on the rear end of the'spindle 24 to resiliently hold the splitpulley 26 in place. The pulley 26 reels 23 and 29 and held in place onthe spindle 24 by means of a set screw.

The outer reel 29 is held in place on the spindle 24 by means of aspring lockingclip 31 which has the open ended tapered slot 32 means forthe'insertion and withdrawal of causing it to normally cap said clip. Itis apparent that this gives a firm yet resilient holding. for the reel-29 turn with the spindle 24 within the cabinet 21, and toturn on thespindle 24 under abnormal strain The cabinet 21 is preferablyconstructed with two compartments 34 and 35 which are connected to oneanother and has doors 36 for thecompartment 34 and 37 for thecompartment 35, having glass sitting in front of the cabinet canalwaysdirect the process the winding of the film 18 on inner reel 23. Thecompartment 34 is made about double the depth ofvthe compartment 35 inorder to receive the two reels 23 and 29 therein on the long revolvingspindle 24. A fined spindle 39 is provided about central of wall 35 toreceive thereon the reel 40 from which it is desired to rewind thefilm47 onto the reel 29. A spring tension cap 41 is provided for the endof the spindle 39, which is supported on a spring 42 attached tothe'frafne of the door 36 so that the cap bears against the reel 40 withthe desired tension pressure.

A spindle 43 is provided'midway betweenthe reels 29 and 40 and extendingout from the rear wall and havin thereon an idler roller 44 over whichthe film rolls in rewinding thereby omitting manual. guidance andcontact and keeping said film flat and always in line as it passes fromone reel tothe other. In' order to provide means-:for

holding the reel 29 when the film 18 breaks as it runsfrom the reel 1&t0the reel 23, as

sometimes happens, a spindle 45 is hinged on the'bottom of the cabinet21 to fold with: in the same alongside of the semi-partition 46, 'sothat said spindle 45 can be turned outward and the rest 29 may be placedthereon. without removing the film from over the idler roller 44 therebypermitting access tothe inn'er'reel 23 forthe repair of the film 18,after which the reel 29 may be re-' placed upon the spindle 24 and theprocess of projecting the pictures through the moving picture machine 11in combination with the rewinding of;the film 47 can proceed.

It is of course understood that all reels after projection have to,bejreversed by rewinding. By my arrangement the projection of the film18 'canbe attained by the operator simultaneously with the rewinding ofthe film 47 without extra exertion or soiling manual'contact, bothoperations being each of the doors preferably panels 38 so that theoperator of rewindingas well as the rear the'reel 23. The separatorsleeve 30 is then placed on the spindle 24, and the reel 40 with thefilm 47 to be rewound is placed on the spindle '39 and the film 47 isconnected to the empty reel 29. The operator then turns the crank 48, orit is turned mechanically, thereby turning the shaft49-and causing thebelt 5.0'to turn the pulleys '51 and 25 and spindle 24, thereby rotatingthe reels 23 and 29 and simultaneously unwinding-the film 18 andrewinding the fil-m 47, both operations being within the vision andreach of the single operator, the operation of rewinding or arrangementof the reels 29 and 40 being easy of attainment by the unoccupied.hand'of the operator even when'he is turn-- ing the'crank 48.

The doors 36 cabinet 21 are preferably made dust proof by means of astrip 52 of felt or other suitable packing'around'the inner edges ofsaid doors to thereby 'shut out all dust and grit from said cabinet andparticularly during the rewinding operation to thereby prevent thescratching or otherwise marring of the films 18 and 47, thereby greatlyprolonging the life and increasing the value ,of said it is also obviousthat no handling of the films 18 and '47 is necessary in rewinding orunreeling of the same. Consequently, all danger of marring ordeterioration through said handling is overcome by my rewinding cabinet.The operation is fully under the eye of the operator while rewinding andunreeling while thedoors are closed thereby preventing all accumulationsof dust and shut out anything thatwould mar or otherwiseinjure saidfilins during the rapid revolution of said reels in rewinding the same.

I claim as new:

1. In combination with a moving picture machine, film rewindi'ngmechanism comprising. a (10K removably receive one of the film reels ofsaid moving picture machine thereon and to removably receive a secondrewinding film reel thereon in front of said film reel of said movingpicture machine, a pulley on the rear end of said double length spindlebehind both of said film reels for rotating said spindle and filmreels,a fixed spindle a spaced distance from said double length spindle torotatably support a third film reel in line with the front film reel onsaid double lengtlr spindle, said third film reel on said fixed spindlecontaining the film to be .rewound, andbelt connection between and 37 ofthe rewinding ble length rotatable spindle to taneously rotate saiddouble length spindle machine, a film rewinding cabinet, a double I andoperate said moving picture machine and rewind said film to be rewoundupon said fr'ont film reel.

2. In combination with a moving picture length rotatable spindle in saidcabinet to removably receive one of the film reels of said movingpicture machine thereon and to removably receive a second rewinding filmreel thereon, means for turnin said double length rotatable spindle by te operation of said moving picture machine, a fiXed spindle a spaceddistance from said double length s )indle to support a third rewindingfilm reelthereon in line with said second rewinding film reel, and athird spindle hingingly attached in said rewindingcabi net to foldwithin said cabinet when the doors are closed and to receive said secondrewinding film reel thereon'when either of the films are in trouble.

3. In combination with a moving picture machine, a cabinet supportedbeneath said moving picture machine and opening toward the operatingside of said moving picture machine, a double length spindle rotatablymounted in said cabinet to receive one of the film reels of said movingpicture machine on the inner end thereof and" a second film reel on theouter end thereof, a pulley on the rear end of said double lengthspindle, a belt connecting said pulley to the operating shaft of saidmoving picture machine to simultaneously turnsaid spindle and the reelsthereon with said operating shaft of said moving picture machine, afixed spindle in said cabinet a spaced distance from said double lengthspindle to rotatably support a third film reel thereon in-l ine withsaid second film reel, a spring cap for saidfixed spindle to bearagainst said third film reel and give tension thereto,

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor and a roller midway betweensaid second and third film reels to pass the film to be rewoundthereover from said third reel to said second reel.

.and a second rewinding film reel on the outer end thereof, said doublelength spindle extending through the rear wall of said cabinet androtatively mounted therein, a split pulley on the outer rear endv ofsaid spindle and a spring on said spindle to resiliently hold said splitpulley, said split pulley belted to the operating shaft of said movingpicture machine to be simultaneously turned with said operating shaft, asleeve keyed between said inner and outer film reels on said doublelength spindle to hold said reels a spaced distance apart, a springholding clip to hold said second film reel on the outer end of saiddouble length spindle, a fixed spindle in the other compartment of saidrewinding cabinet a spaced distance from said double length spindle torotatably receive thereon a third film reel in line with said rewindingfilm reel on said double length spindle, a spring having a cap on oneend and attached at the other end to the door of the compartment toengage over said fixed spindle when the door' is closed and pressagainst said third ,film reel and give tension thereto.

Intestimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIS AKIN.

Witnesses:

H. A. SANDBERG, HAROLD Honsnnne.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. C.

